Reuters World News Summary
Following is a summary of current world news briefs.
China conducts 'combat patrols' over contested islands
China's air force sent bombers and fighter jets on "combat patrols" near contested islands in the South China Sea, in a move a senior colonel said was part of an effort to normalize such drills and respond to security threats. The exercises come at a time of heightened tension in the disputed waters after an arbitration court in The Hague ruled last month that China did not have historic rights to the South China Sea.
Voters condemn South African ruling party to worst election outcome
South Africa's ruling party was in a close race early on Saturday in two major cities after losing one other key municipality in its worst electoral performance since the end of apartheid. The African National Congress has ruled virtually unopposed since it ended white-minority rule in 1994 with Nelson Mandela at its helm. But its grip on power is being shaken against the backdrop of high unemployment, a stagnating economy and a series of scandals that have dogged President Jacob Zuma.
Yemen's Hadi launches military operation east of Sanaa, peace talks end
Forces loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi launched a new offensive east of the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Saturday, the military command said, after United Nations-sponsored peace talks in Kuwait ended without an agreement. The offensive, which is backed by air strikes from a Saudi-led coalition, came as the Iran-allied Houthis and the party of ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced a 10-member governing council, against the wishes of the U.N.
Ethiopia's security forces use tear gas to disperse protests - witness
Ethiopian security forces used tear gas and blocked roads in the capital Addis Ababa and other major towns on Saturday to try to quell protests against alleged rights abuses, a Reuters witness and residents said. The Horn of Africa country's Oromiya region has seen months of demonstrations over plans to incorporate some of its territory into the capital as part of an expansion scheme.
Air strike on Syrian hospital kills 10 - Observatory
An airstrike on a hospital in northwestern Syria on Saturday killed 10 people, including children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The hospital, in the town of Meles, is about 15 km from Idlib city in rebel-held Idlib province.
Man yelling 'Allahu Akbar!' wounds two Belgian police in machete attack
A machete-wielding man yelling "Allahu Akbar!" (God is greatest) injured two female police officers before being fatally shot in the Belgian city of Charleroi on Saturday, in what the prime minister said appeared to be a terrorist act. The attacker was shot by a third officer and subsequently died of his wounds, but the police officers were out of danger, police said.
Intense fighting as Syrian rebels try to break Aleppo siege
Rebel fighters pressed on with an intense offensive against a major military complex in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Saturday, following gains on Friday, to try to end a siege of opposition-held areas in the city's east. Taking control of the Ramousah complex, which contains a number of military colleges, would isolate government-held western Aleppo by cutting the southern route out towards the capital Damascus.
Thais to vote for first time since 2014 coup in charter referendum
Thailand votes on Sunday in a referendum on a new junta-backed constitution that would pave the way for a general election in 2017 but require future governments to rule on the military's terms. The referendum is the first major popularity test for the junta led by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has suppressed political activity during the two years since he seized power in a coup in 2014.
Fire kills 13 after birthday cake falls to floor in French bar
A fire swept through a bar in the northern French city of Rouen overnight, killing 13 people and injuring six, after a birthday cake with candles and sparklers fell to the floor and set the carpet ablaze, police said. The fire broke out in the basement of the popular Cuba Libre bar and quickly engulfed the room where some 20 people were celebrating, filling it with thick black smoke and poisonous fumes, a Rouen police officer told Reuters.
Leader of Germany's liberal party compares Turkey coup reaction to Nazis
The leader of Germany's liberal Free Democrats (FDP) likened Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's purge of state institutions to the actions of the Nazi party in the 1930s in comments published on Sunday. FDP leader Christian Lindner said he saw parallels between Erdogan's behavior and aftermath of the Reichstag fire in 1933 portrayed by the Nazis as a Communist plot against the government and used by Adolf Hitler to justify massively curtailing civil liberties.
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